Back from Osaka! Went strawberry-picking, karaoke with friends over there and dressed up as a 舞妓! Heh heh heh:D Here's chapter two for you:) Thank you for reading my story! Oh yes. There are profanities in the following content, so kids below 13, please refrain from reading.

I'm so responsible. o(*ω*)V

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Ikki grabbed Emily by her collar, causing everybody to squeal in fright. More for Ikki's safety.

"REPEAT YOURSELF AGAIN, BITCH." Numerous veins popped out over Ikki's face, creating a drought-wracked ground effect. In reflex to the insult, Emily punched him in the gut, leaving him gasping for air, slightly hunched over.

The boys in the class gasped in sympathy.

Emily straightened her uniform and jabbed her middle finger in his eye, shouting, "Why should I tell a thick-headed jerk like you?! Back in Kyoto, when Ringo put on the kimono for y--" "Emily!! Keep quiet, that's a secret!!" Yayoi intervened at the last moment, pulling a puffing Emily away by the arm. "Ikki-kun, I think you should just try to figure out what's wrong together...that would be the best..."

Agito raised his head ever so slightly, his right eye glowing venomously and his words laced with menace. "Bird-brain, I think what those bloody noisy people mean is that you should go find it out by yourself by going after her. By doing that, those people will quieten down, you can find out what is going on and I can get my fucking sleep." Finished, his head flopped down onto his desk, earning glances of admiration from a bunch of rabid fan-girls situated two desks away from him.

Ikki pondered for a moment, the information sinking in his brain slower than a stone in sludge. "Oh...yes...yes, you're right, Agito! Well, I'll be going then." Ikki went to his seat, grabbed his bag and sped towards the window. "We'll catch up later! Go for it, Ikki!" Kazu shouted encouragingly, only to Ikki's chagrin. What's with them?! Why are they behaving like that? Ringo and I, we shouldn't have any problems. It's not like we will have, anyway...Ikki thought to himself, unsettled.

Agito muttered into his folded arms as he watched the commotion. "Fucking stupid."

_+*~*~*+_

"Hey, Ringo...what's wrong? Why won't you stop?" Kanon called out to her in his melodic voice as usual, and for some reason, instead of it setting her on her nerves like it usually did, it actually calmed her down. She ceased gliding on her ATs and looked around. She was in an area that she wasn't too familiar with-- a lot of shopping and people moving briskly. She felt nervous for a moment and discreetly looked around for Kanon. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Huh?"

Her heartbeats increasing steadily, she raised her head and looked around desperately, her skin coated with a thin sheen of forehead despite the cool weather. Finally, she could not take it anymore and called out loud, swinging wildly, "Kanon! Kanon-kun, where are you?!" A warm hand fitted comfortably into hers and pulled her away from the pulsing mass of people into a warm alley.

Shoulders rising and falling, she looked around in the dim light, her hair tied in two silky bunches swinging around like pendulums. A pair of hands took hold of her face tenderly. "K-K-Kanon?" A word came flowing out alongside a shaky breath. "Yes, Ringo-chan?" Kanon had leaned in as close as he dared to, his lips inches from hers. Ringo actually felt comfortable in such close contact, and the thought of him being her tuner did not matter. It did not even occur to her. Kanon saw no resistance, and was surprised when she closed her eyes, tilting her head slightly. He closed the distance between them slowly.

Hah.

Hah.

Kanon paused when his ears picked up short bursts of breath, with an irregular heart rate that belongs to either a person recovering from a sprint or a very agitated person. It sounded like it was a few 10 meters away. Taking no mind, Kanon's lips just about grazed Ringo's, picking up a sweet scent of grapes. Ringo looked up at him, her glasses lopsided, her cheeks crimson even in the dim light and the slightest hint of an otherwise wide smile. He could not resist and asked her softly, while sporting a slightly smug expression, "You used the lip gloss I bought for you? I thought you said you wouldn't use it..?" Ringo opened her mouth to retort when a sudden shout pierced through the atmosphere.

"HEY, RINGO!!"

"Ikki..?! Where are--!!"

Kanon took her in his arms and kissed her soundly and deeply, this time. She withdrew with no anguish in her eyes like the previous time--maybe just surprised at the audacity and slightly scandalized. Kanon smiled at her and himself. So this is what lip gloss feels like on the lips.

Ikki came speeding down the wall of the building he was facing at an incredible speed. The time it took was barely a breath longer. Kanon was irritated that he had ruined almost everything for him. It always surprised him that Ikki could have so much potential within him unleashed when he was extremely disturbed and upset.

Ikki shot Kanon a look filled with utter venom. So he was not mistaken then, when they were at the hospital. Ikki was not merely suspicious of him--was he jealous, maybe? Or perhaps he was worried that Ringo, the girl he had been around for so long suddenly knows another boy that she is on such familiar terms with that he would know of her intimately, thus meaning that it is impossible that she would only have eyes for one. Well...it is known that Ringo is popular in her school, judging from the things he had heard and seen when he went to pick her up at her school.

"Hey, Ikki-kun. Good to see you all energetic and that. What brings you here?" And with those words, Kanon had served the ball into Ikki's court with a smirk.

:~*~:~*~:~*~:

I could just freaking kill this fish-eyed musical bastard for taking liberties with Ringo.

Ikki thought to himself, his blood boiling to nearly gaseous states. There were pulsing veins on his clenched fists. He spotted Kanon's hand still lodged comfortably on Ringo's svelte waist. If he tells him to stop touching Ringo, it would give off the wrong message, right? But he can't stand the thought of Ringo's school uniform having crinkles that would fit the grooves in only Kanon's hand, too. And indeed, what was he doing here, following the duo through the streets sneakily, covering his steaming face with his bag as people watched on in wonder?

"Just checking up on Ringo." A clumsy hit back in Kanon's court, the ball flying terribly close to the edge of the net.

"Hmm...and may I ask, why is there a need for it?" A strong hit--dangerous, even. Irate, Ikki drew himself up slightly and snapped.

"What I do with Ringo is MY business, so I think I don't have to answer to you." Ikki covered his mouth, his cheeks pink and hot, unable to believe he had actually said that. Well, if you look at the sentence in a different way, it would not really mean anything, but he had meant it the other way. He glanced at Ringo discreetly. Looks like she interpreted it the same way as he did, and so did Kanon. He was raising his eyebrows and not smirking for once.

Ringo was covering her mouth with both hands, her violet eyes widened in shock. "W-w-w-wha--Ik-Ikki...?! I...I..what are you saying?!" She turned to Kanon for some sort of comfort, but remembered the scene earlier where she had allowed him to kiss her. She spun around at a loss. Both Ikki and Kanon then looked at her in unison. Confused, she jumped up, eclipsing the sun, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

"Game point." Ikki smirked as he mouthed the words clearly.

"Hmm...well-played, I supposed." Kanon shadowed his rival's expression as he watched the brightness of Ikki's eyes grew. "Looks like the finals have yet to be started."

Ikki watched as Kanon melted into the crowd, vanishing without a trace. He thought worriedly to himself, as confused with himself as Ringo was. Why is he acting this way? "Ringo and I are nothing but bosom friends, right..? I mean, she can't possibly have feelings for me, no way, haha!" Ikki laughed stiffly to himself. Sure, there had been times when he felt uncertain that they were just friends, such as when they were alone and he took care of her, but he subconsciously dismissed those moments as friends merely caring for each other. Why did I feel so smug when I made Ringo embarrassed?! What's wrong with me?! Ikki grabbed tufts of his hair as he racked his brains over the questions. "Ah, I know, I'll ask Kazu and the others for advice! I'm such a genius."

*~*On the top of the building*~*

Kazu smacked his forehead as he spat, "What a freaking IDIOT. Talking to himself is one thing, but deluding himself and falling for it is another!!"

Onigiri nodded wisely as he closed his eyes. "The best way to get to a girl is first, lift up her--OOF"

"Are you a dumb as you look, pig boy?! Don't give such advice to that blockhead, he might end up listening to you and get screwed. Now, he's coming to ask US for advice, eh? I can't wait," Emily cackled as she cracked her knuckles, a vein pulsing at her cheek. "Fancy playing dumb when Ringo-chan is so obvious. Let's help that pathetic loser out!"

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Phew. That's it for chapter two. I think the end is a little weird, just woke up from a nap. Please leave comments on the way out, and thank you for reading this again! o(●ω●)o